Costa Rica ranked number 35 in the EF world ranking of English proficiency. This position does not show variations since 2015, which reflects the little progress the country has had in the matter.
According to statistics from the 2017 National Household Survey, in Costa Rica, the hourly wage of workers who have a second language is 20.79% higher. However, the data reveal that only 15% of young people between 18 and 25 had a second language, while 85% of young adults in Costa Rica acknowledged that they could not speak or write in that language.
Additionally, the Ministry of Public Education (MEP) has carried out continuous evaluations of more than 3,100 English teachers with the TOEIC test (Test of English for International Communication), of the Costa Rican Cultural Center of North America, where only 59.3 % obtained grades from medium to high.
Carlos Del Cid Guevara, director of the English School of American University (UAM), explained that most high school students, when leaving school, do not speak the language, for that reason they seek to strengthen that ability in academies or universities, in order to be able to enter the labor market, however, there are very few students who succeed.
It is necessary that the student who does not have a high command of this language, take into account the degree of commitment, time and dedication with they must have to assume this learning process,”
said the director.
The need to master the English language is part of a worldwide phenomenon, due to the high demand of international companies to manage their business in this language.